The COVID-19 vaccines are already injecting renewed confidence into the decimated travel industry -- travelers are taking the news as a green light to pack their bags.
Although most of us won't have access to one of 3 potential vaccines until next spring, Cruise Brothers -- one of the largest family-owned cruise travel agencies in the country -- tells TMZ, it saw a 60 percent spike in new itineraries compared to election week ... when bookings were few and far between.
The big change between then and now, of course, is Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca all announced highly-effective vaccines are going to the FDA for approval.
That's enough to get folks thinking summer vacations -- but they're still steering clear of current COVID hotspots. We're told Alaska is the most popular destination getting booked now, while the least popular is Europe.
Antarctica, the only continent untouched by COVID-19, is attracting luxury travelers ... Cruise Brothers says trips there are up 100 percent compared to what was on the books before the pandemic.
They do expect people to start booking more traditional European getaways though ... once the current COVID surge there dies down.
TripAdvisor says 65 percent of consumers are already thinking about traveling. So, once vaccines are widely available, it's looking like the travel industry will be inundated with bookings.
Hallelujah!